Coronavirus vaccine could take up to 12-18 months, says WHO

A vaccine against coronavirus could take more than a year to develop, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

Addressing a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that preparing a vaccine was planning for the “worst situation”.

But he acknowledged that development was a “balancing act” – adding that the imminent focus should be on public health solutions.

“We have to invest in preparedness and really use this window of opportunity to stay away from any serious crisis,” he said.

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“We have to strike a balance. The vaccine could be the long term, because it could take up to 12 to 18 months. And this is like preparing for the worst situation.

“It’s the simple public health solutions that we should do that should really be our focus, while of course preparing for the vaccine.

“That balancing act is very, very important. We do what should be done today and then we invest also in the future to prepare for the future.”